Cam Install
Cam Install
I'm putting my cams in tonight; however, I have no tensioner tool to hold the cams in place. I was told I could just use a drill bit and some C clamps.. is this okay or shunned upon by the mitsubishi crowd?
Or if you guys have ever tried anything else and been succesful... It's getting injectors and a tune as well tonight and I'm gonna go ahead and bleed the lifters since it's not complicated and would probably save me more work later if it starts ticking after install.
Or if you guys have ever tried anything else and been succesful... It's getting injectors and a tune as well tonight and I'm gonna go ahead and bleed the lifters since it's not complicated and would probably save me more work later if it starts ticking after install.
Last edited by whitepwr; Aug 7, 2008 at 06:45 AM.
cam tools are a PITA to get them set correctly but if you can get them set, it is the best way.... an extra set of hands to hold em in place works great as well. GL with the install. 
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Its not that bad, but if you have some else to hold the cams in place its not terrible. I have never had that tool and have done several cam installs without a problem.
Count the number of teeth in the belt between the marks on the cam gears, and make sure you have the same. You can put a wrench on the hex on the cams and hold them or rotate them. Also make sure when you put the cams before tightening them down you have them oriented correctly. The pin on the end of the cam that ingages the cam gear should be at the top.
Its not that bad, but if you have some else to hold the cams in place its not terrible. I have never had that tool and have done several cam installs without a problem.
Count the number of teeth in the belt between the marks on the cam gears, and make sure you have the same. You can put a wrench on the hex on the cams and hold them or rotate them. Also make sure when you put the cams before tightening them down you have them oriented correctly. The pin on the end of the cam that ingages the cam gear should be at the top.
Last edited by denver; Aug 7, 2008 at 07:21 AM. Reason: Miss read post, oops thought he was talking about belt tensioner..
last cam install i did on my car i forgot to use the tensioner tool..... i was able to get the gears back on but its very tricky....
you can get one gear on very easy. but the other will be hard. your best bet is to have a friend help you out here. its very hard to explain on the internet but here it go's.
you need to look at the dowel pin on the cam while holding the cam gear upto the cam its self. you need to turn the cam with a wrench till the dowel pin lines up. then get the pin to sit in the hole on the gear. you will need to tilt the cam gear some to do this. but once you get it on then turn the cam back to where you had it. this will pull the gear straight up. you will need to tap the gear on from here. make sure its seated all the way in.... side note... turning the cam is a risky job. take your time and pay attention. at the end when the cams are trqed down and the gears are on pull your spark plugs and turn the motor over using the crank and a 1/2 inch socket wrench..... make sure she spins nice and free.
i had to do this a few times. it will work just pay attention to what your doing.
you can get one gear on very easy. but the other will be hard. your best bet is to have a friend help you out here. its very hard to explain on the internet but here it go's.
you need to look at the dowel pin on the cam while holding the cam gear upto the cam its self. you need to turn the cam with a wrench till the dowel pin lines up. then get the pin to sit in the hole on the gear. you will need to tilt the cam gear some to do this. but once you get it on then turn the cam back to where you had it. this will pull the gear straight up. you will need to tap the gear on from here. make sure its seated all the way in.... side note... turning the cam is a risky job. take your time and pay attention. at the end when the cams are trqed down and the gears are on pull your spark plugs and turn the motor over using the crank and a 1/2 inch socket wrench..... make sure she spins nice and free.
i had to do this a few times. it will work just pay attention to what your doing.
Clairfy this statement " I have no tensioner tool to hold the cams in place"
are you talking about the belt tensioner tool, or some device that holds the cams in the correct orientaion?
are you talking about the belt tensioner tool, or some device that holds the cams in the correct orientaion?
http://evomoto.com/tech_info.php?tPa...17b2a1ff523336
Yah I watched the video on the How To section for the cam install and it seems easy the only tool I don't have that they had was the tensioner tool.. now if I don't need that then I will be fine and I can do it when I get off work. I'll just keep the cams at TDC before I pull em' off so I know where to put them back to when I put the new ones in. Everything in that video was really helpful and I will read over that link above because that seems really indepth. Hopefully it all goes smoothly!
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I have never used anything like you are describing. If you have the tool used to relieve the belt tension (A long threaded rod with a hex on it) that is the only special tool you need.
There is a hex on the cams you can put a wrench on and adjust them so they stay in time.
once you have the tension applied again, make sure and rotate the engine over a few times, then reset it back to TDC and check time again before final assembly of everything.
Also another tip, if you are not replacing cam gears, just zip tie the belt to the gears before you take the tension off, or if you are replacing gears, get a white marker or paint pin, really just anything you can mark on the belt and see, then mark the belt just above the timming mark on the cams before you remove tension.
There is a hex on the cams you can put a wrench on and adjust them so they stay in time.
once you have the tension applied again, make sure and rotate the engine over a few times, then reset it back to TDC and check time again before final assembly of everything.
Also another tip, if you are not replacing cam gears, just zip tie the belt to the gears before you take the tension off, or if you are replacing gears, get a white marker or paint pin, really just anything you can mark on the belt and see, then mark the belt just above the timming mark on the cams before you remove tension.
Last edited by denver; Aug 7, 2008 at 08:10 AM.
Good luck
when i did my cams and upgraded my timing belt.. i didnt use the tensioner tool... i took the tensioner off squeezed the pin down with a vice and stuck a small alan wrench in the pin hole.. worked out just fine no problems att all!! goodluck!!! 
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zip tying the cam gears is a very good way to do it, zip tie and pull away from gears and tension them up to keep the belt from slipping off the lower gears. Ive done many cams this way and have never had issues with timing or anything.
